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A popuar anime show

Naruto Unleashed Complete Series Ones Box Set:

I'm a big fan of Anime (Japanese animation) and although Naruto is technically a children's Anime series it's probably one of my favourites! There are nine series of Naruto Unleashed and then another series takes over called Naruto Shippuden. This review covers the DVD box set of series one of Naruto Unleashed. (This is dubbed - many people swear the original Japanese version with subtitles is better than the dubbed version but I am too lazy to watch so much TV with subtitles).

Naruto Unleashed tells the story of a young boy who lives in a ninja village and his journey from a troubled young man shunned by the whole village to a fully fledged ninja. The story takes you through Naruto's training, his friendships and his eventually his realisation of his true destiny.

The author and artist behind Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto. He was born in Okayama in Japan on November 8th 1974. While Masashi Kishimoto was in college he entered in a competition in the weekly magazine "Shonen Jump" and won with a one off Manga called "Karakuri".

Once he had finished college he created the first version of Naruto in 1997. Two years later in 1999 Naruto was serialised in Shonen Jump and became a huge success. The TV show was first shown in 2002 on TV Tokyo. Naruto is now the number one ninja Manga in Japan and is loved throughout the world.

There is quite a cast of characters in Naruto so I thought I would give a little description of the characters that are important in series one.

> Naruto Uzumaki:

As a baby not only did Naruto loose both his parents during an attack on the village by a nine-tailed fox spirit but he that same spirit sealed within him. It was the only way the fourth Hokage, (the Hokage is the leader of the village), could save the village from total destruction.

The people who can remember the attack and know how the demon fox was defeated are scared of Naruto, some of them fear that the fox spirit will take Naruto over and some believe he is the fox spirit. Despite the adults of the village being forbidden to speak of the incident the children of the village pick up on this fear and so he is shunned and alone. Naruto does not know about the fox spirit within so he does not understand why he is shunned.

To get the attention he so craves Naruto acts up and is always getting in to some trouble or messing up in his ninja studies. He is quite hyper active but as the series progresses his character develops as we learn about his past and the true extent of his talents and his relationship with the spirit locked within him.

Naruto really wants to become a ninja, not just any ninja but the greatest ninja of all time. He believes that if he succeeds and becomes the next Hokage that people will have to respect him and stop treating him so badly.

I love the depth the author has given Naruto and I love watching him grow and change. I quickly grew to love Naruto and this is credit to the skill with which he was crafted.

> Iruka Sensei:

Iruka is one of Naruto's teachers and at the start he seems to be just the same as the rest of village with regards to his attitude to Naruto. Quickly we learn of Iruka's past and see his real feelings for Naruto come to the service.

Iruka is a compassionate and caring person and he pops up throughout the various series of Naruto and he is an easy character to like.

> The Third Hokage:

The Third Hokage is really old, before the attack by the fox spirit 12 years before the start of the first series he had already resigned from leading the village handing the reigns to the Fourth Hokage but he had to lead once more after the Fourth Hokage was killed in the battle.

The Third Hokage is wise but instead of being the traditional "sage" character his wisdom is often delivered with compassion or humour. We often get to hear his thoughts and he seems to speak only when it is needed.

You always get the impression that the Third Hokage is really tired and desperate to finally retire for good and hand the village over to someone deserving.

> Konohamaru:

Konohamaru is the Third Hokage's Grandson and is a particularly funny character. He is known by everyone in the village, they always call him "honourable grandson", but he has a lot in common with emotionally tortured Naruto. Konohamaru also uses misbehaviour to get noticed, he is a lot younger than Naruto and he is a used as a way to bring the younger villagers into the story.

Konohamaru brings a lot of humour to the programme with his hilarious schemes to sneak up on Naruto or his Grandfather in order to become the next Hokage. These schemes are so typically childish even though most children don't grow up in a ninja village. Masashi Kishimoto must have such a wonderful sense of fun and an amazing understanding of children to portray in such a believable way.

> Sakura Haruno:

Sakura's character always reminds me of Hermione from Harry Potter; she is so brainy and knows everything in theory but sometimes she struggles with reality of being a ninja. She believes she is unattractive and that she has a huge forehead which makes her have a lot of issues with her self confidence.

Sometime Sakura annoys the hell out of me she spends a good deal of the time fawning over Sasuke or continuing a silly, childish rivalry with one of her school mates. I feel Sakura is quite a shallow character and although she does develop as the story progresses I get the impression that Kishimoto is better at writing, (and drawing), boys than girls.

> Sasuke Uchiha

Sasuke is my favourite character. He is broody and carries a great burden on his shoulders. Like Naruto he has lost (almost) all his family in a great tragedy, has an ambition that he feels he must achieve and has a great destiny that he unaware of.

Sasuke is a good looking boy and most of the girls at ninja school have crushes on him but either he is completely oblivious to their attention or he really just doesn't care.

There are twenty six episodes in series one, each episode ends with a pre-view of the next episode and begins with a recap of the last. This can get really annoying and my other half always jokes that you get away with watching just every other episode!

Series one beautifully introduces the characters and the stories in a way that never feels "set-up" or forced. By that I mean the story flows perfectly and when the past is discussed or someone is introduced it always fits with the story and feels natural.

Series One mostly covers the introduction of the characters and the history leading up to the beginning of the story. As well as this though it covers the first part of the ninja training, (this training can be quite extreme at times and the episodes covering the training are some of my favourites), and Naruto's first missions as a ninja. We get to see the workings of a ninja village, (albeit a fictional one), and learn the actual physical workings of the ninja body.

I don't really want to go into more detail so I don't spoil the story for anyone who wants to watch!

The artwork is fantastic and although it is cartoony and quite basic in style the detail added in each scene is lovely and each and every frame is a joy to watch.

The DVD has a few special features, I don't think these are that good on the whole but I will do my best to describe them anyway.

> Textless Opening and Ending:

This shows the opening and closing scenes without credits allowing you to view them in all their glory. This is a nice feature as the opening/closing scenes are quite beautiful in their own right. They also change frequently over the various series of Naruto unleashed. The closing scene on the first disc of special features is my absolute favourite and shows a younger looking Naruto, Sasuke an Sakura with an almost soft focus effect with a beautiful song and lovely scenery.

> Naruto from Manga to Anime:

This shows a series of animated scenes and the original drawings. It's a little bit slow to be honest and broken up by a title screen in between each clip. It's interesting to watch once but doesn't really add a great deal to the box set as a whole.

> Trailers:

Does what it says on the tin; trailers for Naruto and other Manga publications.

As I've previously mentioned the special features are a bit weak and I would have liked to see more on the culture of Ninjas and animal spirits and I would definitely like to have seen something from Masashi Kishimoto.

Both Amazon and Play.com sell the series one box set for £12.19 which I think is great value for the amount of entertainment you will get from it.

The whole concept of animal spirits is an important part of Japanese culture and one which fascinates me so I love learning about the fox that inhabits Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto manages to pay homage to Japanese culture while still making the story feel modern and fresh. I think he is an insanely talented author and artist.

I have read some of the books as well, (in English), and the TV show is very, very similar which is great as it would be terrible if any of Kishimoto's wit and humour.

For children and all fans of Anime I can't recommend this series enough. It's something I en.oy immensely and can watch over and over.

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Great Anime show, worth watching.

Naruto Unleashed, is the uncut version of the anime show thats masses of kids are watching.

Naruto is something of genre destroyer as untill this point anime has been a subject that was dismissed by the masses, but with the Arrival of Naruto and its beind picked up by major tv stations, it has brought a whole new generation of viewers and turned them into anime fans, and its no surprise because Naruto has something to suit everyones tastes, it has humour, great animation, fitting music, and a great storyline, this volume covers the very introduction of the character naruto Uzumaki, who happens to be an orphan who contains sealed within him the spirit of a legendary demon fox, and for this he is shunned by his village, untill he meets his new Ninja team members, Sasuki, ad Sakura along with there Jonin mentor Kakashi, and with this the world of being a ninja opens up to him, and he goes on his very first adventures.

The first volume introduces all of Narutos team members as well as the most influential characters from his village, it gives background and insight into these characters and how they got to where they are now.

its a solid start to a world class anime show that shouldnt be missed by fans of anime or action.

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No doubt buy this anime and enjoy it!

Naruto is one of those rarities that come along only so often. This is an enjoyable show that has all ages gripped. The storylines are sweet and action packed and the animation is perfect for the setting.

Naruto Uzumaki is a young boy cursed to live a lonely childhood after the spirit of the Nine Tailed Fox (Kyuubi) was sealed inside him from childhood. He has been shunned by his fellow villagers and left to fend for himself with no parents and few friends.

This first volume of the first series follows Naruto through his attempts to prove himself as a ninja to the village of Konoha. His dream is to become Hokage (Basically the village leader) so that others will stop disrespecting him and treat him as an equal. The first 13 episodes are covered in this dvd and these act as an introduction to the main characters of the serial.

Naruto, after proving himself as a graduate of the ninja academy is subject to a test of teamwork by his newly appointed sensei, Kakashi Hatake. This test is the first time he works with team 7, consisting of Sakura and Sasuke. The following arc, The Land of Waves, begins in this dvd and will leave you wanting more. Team 7 are put to work as bodyguards for a bridge builder and encounter fearsome foes such as Zabuza and Haku. This is the point when some spectacular action begins to take place and is one of the main reasons to continue watching this anime. The fights are incredible to witness and an incredible amount of attacks and counter-measures are built into each fight which keeps you glued to your screen.

The animation may not be what you are used to should you have spent your days watching typical american animation but it doesn't hinder the experience as the main draw is the situational action and characters. You will almost instantly develop an attachment to characters such as Naruto and Kakashi, and will always worry about what will happen to your favorite.

Audio is an important aspect to consider though as the anime is best enjoyed listening to the japanese dub, but with the english subtitles. This is mainly because the english dub is not as solid as the original and the japanes dub just feels much more natural.

Even so, this is an interestingly brilliant start to an incredible anime that will keep you hooked far into the storyline and will unlikely let go.

Highly Recommended 10/10

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Great buy as you can put it in japanese and will keep you amused for hours

After starting to watch naruto just over a year ago it is still this volume and series that entices me. This first volume begins the adventure of young naruto uzumaki, along with his two team mates, sasuke and sakura. We are introduced to these three characters along with many others integral to the story. The volume consists of many epic battles some spanning across numerous episodes and the story is absolutely incredible. When considering this dvd however, one must look at whether they want the highly cliche american voices or the far more powerful japanese ones. I myself became a fan of the english subbed episodes as what is said seems to have a lot more power and emphasis. Not only this, the volume eases you into the naruto world, and after each episode it leaves you wanting to find out what happens next. So, for either new naruto fans or older veterans , this is an absolutely fantastic buy.

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one the best animes to come outta japan

This starts of the story of Naruto a young ninja who wants to grow up to be the greatest ninja in his town, The Hokage. However you see that Naruto is the drop out of the class at least until now he was. The anime shows you show Naruto starts to learn and improve as a ninja while helping out some the villagers with some really funny scenes. All the while he is fighting with his rival Sasuke. This is one my favourite animes, and is full of many jokes and a lot of humour.

However this series has lots of good fights, comedy, good characters and interesting plots. I tell you that you should watch this or even get it for younger children as it also teachers them good values like the strength of friendship and how important loyalty to others and yourself is. This aside the anime is kickass and funny.

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watch Naruto it is gripping stuff

Naruto is one of my favourite anime's of all time, this DVD is the begining of the adventure when introduces you to the main charactors Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura along with thier fellow students and teachers. You can watch this in English but I recomend that you watch it in Japanese with English subtitles as it is much better this way. The English dubb is awful as the voices are too Americanized and the translation is not great, for example in Japanese Naruto tends to say Dattebyo at the end of alot of his sentences which makes it have more oomph/feeling to what he is trying to say but in the Dubb he says 'Believe it' at the end of alot of his sentences which becomes extremely annoying very quickly.

The story of Naruto is that the Kyuubi of the 9 tailed fox was sealed within baby Narutos body (the 9 tailed fox is a demon which tried to destroy Konoha (Narutos village). This means the villagers are wary of Naruto and dislike him for having the demon inside him even though he does not understand this.

It is his dream to become Hokage (the village leader) and an ultimate ninja although at this point his ninja skills are sumwhat lacking, he does learn an advanced Kage Bunshin No Jutsu allowing to create multiple clones. Eventually Naruto learns to use the Chakra from the 9 tails trapped inside him as well as his own Chakra allowing him to have extreme stamina.

This is the story of Naruto and his fellow team mates learning to become ninjas, it is a great anime with amazing story lines although some episodes can be a little dry (i.e. too much talking and no fighting) but overall it is an amazing anime with a stupid amount of episodes to watch which will keep you entertained for a very very very long time and then you can move on to Shippuuden where they are 3 years older and much much more powerful ^_^

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A great new manga story for all ages ^^ .

Hey again ^^ this is another one of my reviews on the current anime favs across the world ^^.

Naruto is a graphic novel drawn in the japanese style of manga produced by Masashi kishimoto , it has also been put into a popular anime series which is currently being viewed on jetix.

Here's a little piece of the storyline to get you intrueged ^^:

" After the wrath of the 9 tailed fox had been ended by the 4 hokage ( leader of the village) he sealed it within the body of a new born baby boy who was destined to carried it within himself. Naruto uzmaki was that newborn and now he studies at the leaf village ninja academy in hopes to become the new hokage and truly be respected and not ridicueled by the village. However within his world the different ninja tribes of the valley are plotting a war with the leaf village. Throughout this journey naruto meets many friends and foes in which he will have to fight however sakura and sasuke ( his team mates) will always be there to back him up ^^. "

I hope this gives you a little insight into the story of Naruto ^^ , its a very popular manga and you'll soon fall for the character and life as a ninja ^^.

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An uncut look, but the few fighting sequences in only 13 episodes can leave a person starved.

As is currently known about most popular anime coming directly from Japan, it will be an even bigger hit in other countries. Though, before that, it is usually the truth that there are those who watch these shows long before the United States and Britain through what so may consider 'illegal' means. In other words, fan-subbing. In fact, one of the main reasons that they continue to watch the Japanese version with subtitles is because of the content. Most times, censorship comes into play within the outer states, blocking out any unsuitable content within a show, such as blood and sexual innuendo. So, what perhaps should happen if you have an anime series involving ninja who can use changing techniques to become a nude woman and clone himself multiple times, allowing him to beat his opponents to a bloody pulp?

Well, release two different versions of the show, of course! It is a marketing scheme, after all. But, yes, Naruto Unleashed Series 1: Volume 1 is the 'super unadulterated mature special awesome wow' version of the two brotherly box sets.. In other words, UNCUT. I know, seeing that word may worry you, what with multiple teen sex comedy movies out on DVD having unrated on every single cover nowadays. But, this is uncut for the absolute best decisions. Allow me to further explain:

As some fans may know, the U.K. version of Naruto was run by Jetix, a company that specializes in Sonic X and Power Rangers (but, mostly Power Rangers), whereas the United States version was made through Cartoon Network. Apparently, the USA versions of the first few episodes of Naruto weren't too edited. However, a shocking and truly brutal edit of Naruto was put on the air in the U.K. Yes, this version had things taken out, even sharp weapons (essential things for a show about ninjas), that had no reason to be taken out.

Now, seeing as this gives a lot more incentive for the British consumer than the American consumer, this set is the deal of a lifetime for the Naruto fan that craves so much and wants the full uncut no-holds-barred give-me-death-or-give-me-liberty version.

The actual story comes down to this: Naruto Uzumaki is a lone child who carries a fox demon within himself, feared by everyone around him who believe he is the demon incarnated. However, Naruto is a very crazy and wild child, just as a fox, and attempts to prove his worth for his village of Konoha, or Hidden Leaf Village. He aspires to become Hokage, the leader of the village, to gain the attention he brutally deserves. However, first he must rise through the ranks along with his teammates Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha, combined with their interesting and talented teacher Kakashi. As a team, they learn new techniques and meet new enemies and allies for their quest for a better life.

Now, the actual reason as to why this is Series 1: Volume 1. Because of such popularity and demand, the first 13 episodes of the 1st Series have been released, so you are mainly claiming only half so far. However, almost all the episodes have a real bang in them. Fight sequences don't feel too played out, they actually do feel logical in a way. Not to mention, "Naruto" doesn't mind having all of the main characters fail at a test so easily in the fourth episode. In fact, that episode is a rather good example of how it is noticeable that they are not trying to rush such over-powered techniques so quickly. In fact, that it is not how strong you are, but how smart and intelligent you are with your skills.

However, when there aren't any fight sequences, the series begins to truly drag on for a while, with constant flashbacks and forcing information down the watcher's gullet. It's almost hard to focus on the sub-plot when the story is a little hard to get into, thanks to some over-dramatic-ism on part to the English dub voice actors.

Actually, I did rather like the dub voice cast, that is, the main characters. Maile Flanagan does a unique way for the character of Naruto, making him sound rather energetic, but gives Naruto one of the most annoying catchphrases you will ever hear: "Believe it!" Yes, I am dead serious. Naruto says "Believe it" more than ten times in each episode. Over 130 times in this set's entirety. However, the rest of the cast does fine, with the Hokage sounding an old man, Sasuke sounding like the arrogant and stuck-up 'too-cool-for-school' kid you want to punch, and Sakura sounding like a girl (what were you expecting?).

So, what other things were added for this special uncut edition? Well, how about the original Japanese opening and ending songs with clean animation and optional subtitles? I don't know about others, but I cannot stand the English dub opening. Too much hard rock and incomprehensible changes to everything that the opening is comparable to all of the English soundtrack of Dragonball Z (ironically, the creator of Naruto was inspired by Dragonball Z). Ah yes, how could this set be truly complete without English subtitles to the Japanese dub track? Yes, all those Naruto fans who liked fan-subbed versions will like this version, giving everything needed.

Well, as far as the DVD set goes, that is all. The DVD does work perfectly, all the animation moving swiftly, the soundtrack playing magnificently. But, yet, I feel like I just watched through an 'ok' series, not one that will make me go wow at everything. It is, to my mind, that there is even bigger and better plotlines later on within the series. So, a better question for now would be: Should I truly get this box set, even though there may be a better part of the series released?

The answer, I believe, is yes. Any person who is a dedicated fan of Naruto will find it absolutely enjoyable, cool, and stunning. Not to mention, they finally get to see some of the stuff that was too much for British television. So, therefore, I give this a 3 out of 5

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Evil-spirited and mischievous, Naruto is an orphan living in a hidden ninja village who, thanks to the sacrifice of the last Hokage ninja years before, carries the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit within him. The 13 episodes collected here follow the powerful and endearing young prankster as he tries to do whatever it takes to become the next Hokage, training with his friends and fighting evil at every opportunity.